The role of energy balance in transition and early lactation cow health Dr School of Veterinary Medicine University College Dublin Agricultural Science Association Lyons Farm October 14 th 2015
Background Teaching Research Herd investigation and monitoring Work with nutritionists and vets With often see interesting cases as part of herd work
Energy balance and metabolic status in the critical period The role of energy balance in transition and early lactation cow health Some recent developments in control strategies
Energy balance and metabolic status in the critical period Issues related to energy balance Difficult calving Retained placenta Uterine infections lameness Ketosis Fatty liver Milk fever Displaced abomasum Mastitis Infertility Poor production
Data from Denmark (Ingvartsen, 2003) Total disease incidence was the sum of mastitis, ketosis, digestive disorders and laminitis from national records for the Danish dairy herd for cows that calved in 1998 (n=93,347 Danish Agricultural Advisory Centre).
Energy balance and metabolic status in the critical period Nutrient requirements are well defined Complicating factors Milk price often determines energy allowance on Irish farms Advice to feed least cost diet regardless of energy requirements Intensive selection for milk production Genetic diversity within herds Feed availability and quality Environmental factors Climatic factors
Classical early lactation negative energy balance Source: Wattiaux Babcock Institute
Energy balance and metabolic status in the critical period Are all states of negative energy balance the same?? Pre-calving negative energy balance Post-calving NEB fat cow Post-calving NEB thin cow?
Consequences of ketosis and negative energy balance The amount of negative energy balance in total (total calorie deficit in early lactation) The severity of negative energy balance (calorie deficit at nadir) The duration of negative energy balance All are variable
Energy balance and metabolic status in the critical period Important energy balance issues pre-partum Level of energy feeding in the dry period Negative shift in energy balance in the last month Long-term energy over-supply or under-supply
Level of energy feeding in the dry period Does the level of energy feeding in the dry period have a conditioning effect on the pattern of energy balance change experienced in the transition period?
Controlled energy feeding in the dry period Feeding 100% of energy requirements in dry cow period Recommendations as low as 85% Reports of better metabolic status in early lactation Cardoso et al., 2013; Roche et al., 2013; Beever et al., 2006
Controlled energy feeding in the dry period Effect of feeding controlled energy (CE) or high energy (HE) in the far off dry period Serum NEFA mmol/l Weeks around calving
Controlled energy feeding prepartum Cardoso et al 2013 JDS 96:5859-5871 (wk 1-4) HE = high energy; CE = controlled energy FO= far-off dry period; CU = close-up dry period
Controlled energy feeding Cardoso et al 2013 JDS 96:5859-5871 (wk 1-6) HE = high energy; CE = controlled energy FO= far-off dry period; CU = close-up dry period
Controlled energy feeding Cardoso et al 2013 JDS 96:5859-5871 Cows fed controlled energy in the dry period had a shorter interval between parturition and conception
Controlled energy feeding Keogh et al 2009 High and low feed allowance in dry period High Low NEFA (mmol/l) Prepartum 0.28 0.30 Calving 0.41 0.40 Postpartum 0.43 0.32* BHB (mmol/l) Prepartum 0.38 0.41 Calving 0.38 0.35 Postpartum 0.63 0.54 Glucose (mmol/l) Prepartum 3.69 3.50* Calving 3.96 3.62 Postpartum 3.34 3.27
Controlled energy feeding Keogh et al 2009 High and low feed allowance in dry period High Low Milk yield (kg/d) 28.8 27.2 Milk fat% 4.43 4.25* Milk prot% 3.31 3.28* Milk fat yield 1.19 1.08* Milk prot yield 0.94 0.88 Milk fat and prot yield (kg/d) 2.23 2.05* Solids corrected yield (kg/d) 27.32 25.13*
Controlled energy feeding Should cows with low BCS at dry-off be placed on controlled energy dry cow regimes?
Negative shift in energy balance in the last month pre-partum!
Consequences of ketosis and negative energy balance Energy balance in transition and early lactation cow health 32% of dairy cows have raised NEFA prepartum They are twice as likely to be culled within 30 days of calving Ospina et al., 2010
Dry-cow negative energy balance Controlled energy diets Marginal under feeding especially in far-off dry period may benefit health production and reproduction (Cardosso et al., 2013) Vs Acute onset of adipose mobilisation in the close-up dry period (associated with many transition cow problems) Ospina et al. (2010) LeBlanc (2012)
Suppression of the immune system (Ingvartsen and Moyes 2013) Retained foetal membranes Uterine infection Mammary infection
Suppression of the immune system Low glucose High BHB Negative energy balance (calculated) Low glutamine High NEFA (Hammon et al., 2006) Related to immune suppression (Ingvartsen and Moyes 2013)
Suppression of the immune system Low glucose (negative energy balance) Glucose required by phagocytic cells for proliferation, survival and differentiation The preferred metabolic fuel for activated PMNs, macrophages, lymphocytes
Suppression of the immune system High BHB (subclinical ketosis) Innate immunity BHB in vitro: Chemotactic capabilities and respiratory burst activity of bovine blood PMN are reduced (Effect in sheep also demonstrated) Specific immunity BHB in vitro: Inhibitied IgM secretion of bovine lymphocytes Ingvartsen and Moyes (2013)
Immune function % of controls Energy balance in transition and early lactation cow health Immune function suppression around parturition Hammon et al., 2006 Highest feed dry matter intake Lowest feed dry matter intake
Dry Energy cow balance raised NEFAs in transition and early lactation cow health 80% RFM in dairy herd Dry cow NEFA dairy cows Kilkenny Herd with 80% RFM
The consequences long-term energy deficit or surplus High BCS (Adipose stored internally in other depots) Low BCS
Consequences of ketosis and negative energy balance Effect of prolonged chronic negative energy balance: The Thin Cow!!
Data from Buckley et al., (2003) BCS at 1 st service Pregnant at d 42 (%) <2.5 50 2.75 57 3.0 66
Correlation between BCS and digital cushion thickness (Bicalho et al., 2009) Low BCS and BCS loss related to lameness (Lean et al., 2013)
Roche and Berry (2006) Greater risk for milk fever in thin cows in comparison to cows with optimal BCS. Heuer et al. (1999) and Hoedemaker et al. (2009) greater risk of uterine infection in thin cows.
Energy balance and metabolic status in the critical period
DMI % of BW Energy balance in transition and early lactation cow health 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2-21 19 17 15 13 11 9 7 5 3 1 Day relative to calving 1.0 BCS = 2.8 (n = 96), BCS = 3.6 (n = 516), BCS = 4.4 (n = 79) (Hayirli et al., 2002)
NEFA mmol/l Energy balance in transition and early lactation cow health Alibrahim et al., 2010 1 0.9 0.8 0.7 ** * BCS 3.25 BCS 4.00 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 1 5 15 25 35 PC Days relative to calving * = P<0.05, ** = P<0.01 PC, entire post-calving period
BHB mmol/l Energy balance in transition and early lactation cow health Alibrahim et al., 2010 1.3 1.2 1.1 1 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 ** 1 5 15 25 35 PC Days relative to calving * BCS 3.25 BCS 4.00 **= P<0.01, * **= P<0.001 PC, entire post-calving period
Insulin pmol/l * Energy balance in transition and early lactation cow health Effect of calving BCS on insulin status in early lactation. Alibrahim et al., 2010 55 45 35 25 15 P < 0.05-14 -7 1 5 15 25 35 Days relative to calving Fig. 2. Effect of BCS ( 3.25 and 4.00) at calving on serum insulin concentration during the peripartuurient period.
Oestradiol Concentration pg/ml Energy balance in transition and early lactation cow health Effect of calving BCS on peripheral Oestradiol concentration 2 days before ovulation of the first dominant follicle post-partum Alibrahim et al., 2010 3.6 3.4 3.2 3 2.8 2.6 2.4 2.2 2 P=0.06 BCS 4.00 BCS 3.25 Treatment
Alibrahim et al., 2010 BCS and BW loss for BCS 3.25 and 4.0 at calving Calving BCS BCS loss BW loss 3.25 0.64 43.30 4.00 1.12 55.52 P 0.001 0.065
Important energy balance issues post-partum
McArt et al. (2013) herds with more than 15-20% elevated NEFAs or BHBs in early lactation have higher rates of subsequent negative events including reduced reproduction and reduced milk yield. Ospina et al. (2013) cows with a serum BHB of 1.2mmol/l or greater in the first week after calving were eight times more likely to develop a DA.
Reduced fertility Physiological basis for NEB effects on fertility Reduced LH pulse frequency Reduced circulating concentrations of insulin and IGF-1 Reduced production of oestradiol by ovarian follicles Smaller CL formation Deleterious effects of high NEFA, high BHB and low glucose on oocyte development Oocytes that develop in negative energy balance are less viable several months later Roche et al., 2000; Boland and Lonergan, 2003; Leroy et al., 2005
Leroy et al., 2008
Leroy et al., 2004
Energy balance and metabolic status in the critical period Control of early-lactation negative energy balance
Control strategies for early lactation negative energy balance Dietary control of energy balance High protein diets V Low protein diets High starch (glucogenic diets)
Dietary protein and energy balance High levels of RDP make negative energy balance worse High levels of metabolisable protein in the diet seem to push milk yield and make energy balance worse Option to reduce dietary protein and increase energy consumption
Whelan et al 2014, Dietary effect on energy balance High CP low starch TMR (HP-LS) 15% CP 6% Starch Low CP high starch TMR (LP-HS) 12% CP 28% Starch Diets were iso-energetic (1.05 UFL/ kg DM)
Data for indoor diets High Protein Low Starch (HPLS) or Low Protein High Starch (LPHS) Diet HPLS LPHS Milk yield kg/hd/d 31.6 29.2* Fat kg/hd/d 1.29 1.19* Prot kg/hd/d 0.92 0.85* Fat% 4.01 3.88 Prot% 2.92 2.93 *, Indicates significant effect
Energy balance and metabolic status in the critical period Influence of High Protein Low Starch and Low Protein High Starch on Energy balance in Weeks 1-9 of lactation, Indoor diets UCD Lyons Research Farm, Whelan et al., 2014
7580 7560 Whelan et al 2014 305d Lactation Yield 7540 7520 7500 7480 HP-LS LP-HS P = 0.99 Fat (Kg) 349 334 Protein (Kg) 255 261 7460 7440 7420 7400 Diet
Conclusion Many different states of negative energy balance Conditioning in the far-off dry period large influence on pattern of energy balance change in periparturinent period
Conclusion Managed controlled energy V excessive mobilisation in the last month Some adipose is needed, thin cows are not acceptable
Conclusion Diet used postpartum can influence energy balance change pattern experienced in lactation
Thank you for your attention!!